National Rifle Association

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National Rifle Association
Website	www.nra.org
Legal status	501(c)(4)
Founded	1871, by Colonel William C. Church and General George Wingate
Headquarters	11250 Waples Mill Road Fairfax , Virginia United States

The initials NRA can also refer to the National Recovery Administration, a depression-era government agency.

The National Rifle Association of America, or NRA, is a non-partisan, non-profit American interest group created to “preserve and defend” the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. Founded in 1871 by Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate, both Union veterans of the American Civil War, the group touts itself as America’s oldest civil rights organization.

Often referred to as one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States, the NRA boasts nearly four million members, according to the organization’s website. The NRA trains approximately 750,000 gun owners each year, and promotes firearm safety with its training courses and educational programs.

History

Founding

The National Rifle Association was founded shortly after the end of the American Civil War (1861-1865), but several decades after Samuel Colt opened the first private gun manufacturing facility in 1836.

Civil War Gen. Ambrose Burnside, also a U.S. Senator and the former governor of Rhode Island, was the NRA's first president.

This subsection should provide some historical context for the founding of your group, explain the motivations behind it, and describe the steps taken and challenges faced by its founders to get the ball rolling.

Early Years

By the end of the nineteenth century, factories were producing weapons at affordable prices, creating widespread individual ownership of guns . The NRA trained many of these new gun owners, often men in the army, with its rifle ranges.

The group’s first rifle range, located on Long Island, was paid for by the New York stage legislature. In 1903 Congress set up the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice, now known as the Civilian Marksmanship Program. The NRA helped to run this board, and Congress eventually gave surplus guns to NRA-sponsored rifle clubs, allowing the organization to expand westward.

Due to an overwhelming interest in the NRA’s shooting programs, the group expanded by constructing a new facility near Lake Erie, 45 miles east of Toledo, Ohio.

WWII Era

In 1934 the NRA formed its Legislative Affairs Division to take up the cause of defending the Second Amendment. While the NRA was not involved in lobbying at this time, it did mail out legislative facts and summaries to members, who could take subsequent action.

The NRA offered its ranges to the government during World War II, and even encouraged its members to serve as guard members throughout the war. The association developed training materials for industrial security, and helped gather more than 7,000 firearms for Britain’s defense against a possible invasion from Germany.

Post WWII

The tenor of the organization changed after World World II, as the NRA began to accommodate the recreational sportsman, even putting together an Olympic rifle team.

In 1973 the organization released a new magazine, The American Hunter. To further its protection of gun rights, the NRA eventually formed the Institute for Legislative Action, or ILA, in 1975.

In 1997 the NRA began publication of The American Guardian to appeal to a more mainstream audience and focus less on the technical aspect of firearms. The magazine was renamed America’s 1st Freedom in 2000.

This NRA's current shooting range, Camp Perry, is now the home of the annual National Matches, an NRA marksmanship competition with more than 6,000 people competing each year.

Current objectives and activities

While the National Rifle Association has not strayed from its initial mission of firearms training and education, its interests have expanded to the political arena. Though not a political machine in itself, the NRA is a powerful lobbying group, and often comes out in support of conservative Republican candidates.

This section should discuss the group's current initiatives and tactics for influencing political outcomes (which may or may not be very different from its original goals and modus operandi).

Organizational structure

The National Rifle Association is governed by a board of directors, usually numbering about 75. The board is responsible for selecting the president, who acts as the organization’s spokesperson, from among their members.

Among the group’s most notable leaders was actor and activist Charlton Heston, who stepped down in April 2003 after developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The NRA’s sixtieth and current president is Ron Schmeits, who held the position of first vice president before replacing John C. Sigler in May 2009. Sandra Froman held the post from 2005-2007, and Marion P. Hammer, the group’s first female president, served from 1995 to 1998. Both Froman and Hammer currently serve on the board of directors.

The directors are also charged with the task of appointing an executive vice president, currently Wayne LaPierre, who functions as the chief executive officer. Chris W. Cox holds the position of executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, and Kayne Robinson is the executive director of NRA General Operations.

Achievements

This section should recount the group's major achievements, including but not limited to legislative and/or legal victories.

Public perception and controversies

In developing this final section, be especially careful about maintaining a neutral stance and tone. Your aim should be to document the public's perception of your group and/or any controversies in which it is or has been embroiled without weighing in with your own opinion about them.